


Episode Eight: Anger Management Part One

by NessieFromSpace



Series: Through Thick and Thin, Sickness and Health [8]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Arguing/ fighting, Families have highs and lows, I promise there will be a happy resolution!, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It's gonna get sad guys, Jack Has Issues, M/M, Rhys and Jack get into a fight, Tim and Gaige and Angel are the best of friends, but!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 14:09:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12060582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NessieFromSpace/pseuds/NessieFromSpace
Summary: Jack is not happy with Rhys right now and we get more flashbacks and a secret gets discovered.





	Episode Eight: Anger Management Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I know it's gonna get rough and it's even worse after Doris' visit, but, it will all turn out okay. 
> 
> Also! Sorry it's been such a long long time! I am going to work on making these releases more steady like my others. This is the last installment in my birthday releases! Whew! Finished four days shy of it too! I wanted to gift you all with more chapters! I released one for each of my fics, this one, the animalisticlly cute Wild Thing. You Make My Heart Sing, and the ever growing fluff monster, Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love. Awkwardly. I hope you enjoy all of them! <3
> 
> And again, I'm sorry and there will be hugs at the end for those who need it!

Jack was furious, Rhys could see that miles away, but this was a long time coming. They had broached this topic before, but Jack had snapped or yelled and Rhys would just drop it. But he could see how affected Angel was, cramped in her bed and room and Jack needed to see it too. So, Rhys would hold firm and work with Jack through this.

He followed Jack to the car, who glared. “Go home with Wil.”

The harshness of those words cut into Rhys, but he steeled himself and rounded his shoulders back. “There won't be enough room with all the kids.”

Jack’s jaw clenched. He opened the car door and slid in and for a moment, Rhys wasn't sure Jack was going to let him in. But after hearing a very profane word, Jack turned the lock up. Rhys got in quickly, shutting the door. Jack peeled out as Rhys fought to put his seatbelt on. They sat in silence and Rhys made sure he wasn't the first to speak.

At a stop light, Jack finally spoke. “You kept it from me. You didn't ask or at the very least let me know.”

Rhys winced. “I'm sorry, Jack. I didn't intentionally hide it from you. I admit I was worried, but I did show you that text I sent to Angel. I told her to see if she liked anything.”

“Yeah, like but not own. I didn't think you meant that. I guess I assumed you'd talk with me about it first.” Jack's condescending tone raked against Rhys.

He took a calming breath. “I'm sorry about this misunderstanding. My intentions were always to let her redo her room and I thought when you saw it, you had agreed.”

“Well, I don't and we're canceling her order.”

“No.” Rhys was firm, but gentle.

Jack slammed the breaks at another red light. “Excuse me? She's my daughter and I get to decide how to raise her. Not you.”

Rhys’ heart fell and he felt the sting behind his eyes. He fought to keep calm and not let Jack see him cry. He took a deep breath. “I didn't realize I wasn't allowed to look out for her best interest…” He looked out the window. “I guess you married me just to stay silent and agree with you no matter what and provide meals and sex.” Rhys sighed. “You're right. A fifteen year old should still be sleeping in the same bed she got when she was six and with the same bedding and princess painted walls and dresser. It's not like she's ever going to grow up and move out. You're right, she won't hold your stubborn pride against you and this definitely won’t damage or possible ruin your relationship with her.” Unable to help it now, tears rolled over his cheeks.

They were silent the rest of the way home. And when they got there it was empty and it screamed at Rhys. As they set their things down, the space between them grew. Rhys sighed as Jack stormed to his office where he would spend the next few weeks avoiding everything.

 

.::Four Years Ago::.

 

Rhys knew when Jack was out of the hospital and feeling better, he was going to kill Rhys. It was just a fact. And living in this concentrated fear with little sleep and spending all other energy taking care of Angel and Jack, Rhys had none left to cater to his underlying fear. He’d gotten a boost when Vaughn had brought his arm back to him while Jack was asleep, but it hadn’t lasted long. He spent his time working with the doctors and a furious Jack. It was mainly Rhys, asking probing questions to the whatever Jack immediately denied. Then, after the doctor explained, they would wait for Jack. After a moment, he would sigh and agree. During this time, Angel went to school, leaving the two alone.

It was mid afternoon when Jack eyed him. “You are not to-”

“Tell anyone about Angel, yeah, I get it,” Rhys said, feeling the fatigue weigh him down.

Jack glared.

Rhys smiled sheepishly. He'd spent so much concentrated time with Jack that he’d become numb to the man's bark. It was only a matter of time, though, when Jack would be biting again.

Rhys stood. “Well, you'll be released today, so I guess I should leave?”

Jack smirked devilishly. “Yeah, get a head start before I-"

The door opened and Angel ran in. She was excited. “Dad! Did you hear? They're letting you out today! Now we can all go home and have some real food!”

Jack smiled, it wasn't as forced when it was for Angel. Rhys had seen in the first five seconds that Angel was Jack’s everything. “Yes, Angel, we’ll…” he stopped and eyed her. “Wait, all?”

She nodded, smiling wide. “Yeah! You, Rhys and I! We can go home and make him a nice meal for taking such good care of us!”

Jack and Rhys were beside themselves. They eyed each other, both understanding that Jack had planned on shooting Rhys, that Rhys was supposed to be running to give Jack something to chase. Jack eyed Angel, thinking and then sighed. “Yeah, whatever.”

And that's how they ended up in Jack's penthouse late in the afternoon. Jack stood stiff, glaring at Rhys the entire time. Rhys, however, no longer cared about being scared of this man. He’d made a decision as they left the hospital. If this was his last day alive, he was too far gone to worry about stupid things. Instead, as they had made their way back, he’d decided he was going to have fun. He was going to be himself and enjoy his time with Angel. This little girl who was incredibly smart and very pleasant company.

Rhys smiled at her as they stood there awkwardly. “Would you like to help me make dinner, Angel?”

She frowned. “But we're supposed to cook for you!”

Rhys wearily eyed Jack. “Don't worry, I don't mind.”

“Okay!” Angel pulled him into the kitchen.

Rhys smiled and let her lead him. He looked through the cupboards, pantry and fridge, familiarizing himself with the kitchen. If this was going to be his last meal, and he was sure it was, he was going to make a great dinner. He made an italian dish with garlic bread. It was nice working with Angel and watching her concentrate on her task.

“Wow!” She said, stirring the sauce into the noodles as Rhys showed off just a little with his mechanical arm. She was thoughtful then. “Why do you have it?”

Rhys smiled. “I wanted to be able to do my job better, same with the eye, and they did help, my job does go faster.” He leaned into her. “But ya know what I discovered?”

“What?”

“You can enhance yourself as much as you want, but it's your brains and determination and hard work that get you to the top.”

She smiled. “Yeah! Just like this meal!”

Rhys laughed, nodding. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and he looked behind him, at Jack leaning on the entrance. He was studying Rhys, thoughtful, yet menacing. Rhys turned back to Angel, ignoring the man’s hostile presence. He joked and sang with her and taught her cooking and chopping tips. She caught on quick, utilizing them immediately. And when she asked a ton of questions, Rhys tried to answer all of them as honestly as he could.

When they were finished, Angel set the table as Jack sat down, silent and glaring.

Angel huffed. “Dad! Stop being a grump and just eat! It's not poisoned!”

Murmuring to himself, Jack began to eat. Rhys watched closely and smiled when Jack finally dug in, scarfing it down. Angel chatted normally with Rhys and Jack during their meal. They answered separately, avoiding an conversation with each other. When dinner was over, Angel insisted on ice cream and Rhys buzzed, his fears fading with the promise of his favorite food.

“I love ice cream!” He beamed as he scooped up all the plates, even Jack's, who was half threw a bite. Angel giggled while Jack seethed. Angel helped Rhys get out bowls and spoons.

“We have lots and lots! They're fancy and made with coconut cause Dad's allergic to milk!”

“Angel,” Jack warned.

“Right, cause you're allergic enough to be killed by it.” She gave him a dull look before turning to Rhys with a large smile. “Let's have a scoop of each!”

Laughing, Rhys opened the fridge and almost stopped dead in his tracks. There were ten different kinds.

“Too much for you, huh?” Jack asked, a smug smirk laughing at Rhys.

But Rhys wasn’t paying attention. He was bouncing on his feet and pulling out each container for Angel to put on the counter. “I haven’t seen this much ice cream together since the last sale! I love when they make it with coconut! It’s creamier and richer but I can never afford it! Would you like to scoop them?” he asked Angel.

“Yeah!”

They served Jack’s first, who glared more at Rhys. He took a moment to flash a large, excited smile. Rhys spoke gently. “You’re very lucky to be able to share all this ice cream with someone you care about.” He looked at Angel. “She’s extremely bright and smart and she’s a great conversationalist.” He smiled at Jack. “And you’re even more amazing with all the work you do and you still make time to raise her. I admire you for that.”

There was a pause when the man grunted. “You don’t admire me for anything else?”

Sighing, Rhys lowered his voice. “I admire your work and now how you raise your daughter. There’s nothing else to admire about you, especially not when you kill anyone who raises your temper more than a centimeter, what’s admirable about such childish behavior?” And then Rhys turned away and went back to Angel. He had crossed a line being so blunt with Jack, but he didn’t care, he was going to eat the best ice cream in the world and spend more time with Angel.

 

.::Present Day::.

 

Rhys stood in the entryway, staring at Jack’s office. His heart ached at the stinging words, but more so with how stubborn he was being. The man was abandoning all care for his child to soothe a wound he would not let heal. As his thoughts progressed, he felt anger begin to burn inside him until he stormed over to the office and yelled through the door. He didn’t bother to check it, he knew it would be locked. “You are extremely childish, Jack! I  _ had _ admired how much you loved Angel, but now I’m not so sure that you really do love her!” He had meant to be that biting, to pull Jack out of his self pity.

And it worked. The door was ripped open and Jack stormed out. Rhys took several steps back as Jack pressed close. “You had better choose your next words  _ very  _ carefully, Rhys.” His words dripped with venom.

“Or what, you’ll get rid of me?” he asked quietly.

“She is  _ my  _ daughter-”

“Yes. She is your daughter and don’t you think she deserves to have a room that suits her? Doesn’t she deserve her own space? You have her trapped in a memorial for your wife, Jack. How is that fair to her?”

Jack got inches away from Rhys’ face. “ _ Do not talk about my wife. _ ”

Rhys glared and pointed. “And this right here is where Angel’s best interest gets overridden by your fear and selfishness.”

Rhys watched Jack’s eyes blacken, his anger rippling, but the front door opened just then. Rhys took a step back and smiled at Angel. She was alone and walked past them, avoiding their gazes. Rhys eyed Jack and then followed her. Jack followed as well, moving ahead to block Rhys from her.

Angel was packing her backpack.

“What’s up, sweetie?” Rhys asked from behind Jack, glaring at the man’s frame.

“I’m staying at Gaige’s.” She still didn’t look at them. She opened the tiny drawer of her pink desk, getting frustrated when it stuck. She pulled out her pencils and then scooped the overflowing items on top of the small desk into her bag. She knelt on the ground and pulled out a sketchbook and an expensive camera from the small space between her bed and the floor.

“Angel, I didn’t spend copious amounts of money on that thing for you to stuff it under your bed.”

She shot a furious glare at him, tears streaking down her face. “Where else is it supposed to go, Dad? Where in this room is there a place to put the things  _ I _ love?” She stood and went to the tiny dresser. “I can’t put them here, it’s jammed with clothes! And I can’t put my clothes in the closet because it’s full too!” She opened it and snatched a couple pairs of shoes that spilled out of the small shoe rack. She stuffed her clothes in a different bag. “At least I’ll actually get some sleep at Gaige’s.”

Jack frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Angel glared at him. “It means that my feet won’t go past the bed at her house! I won’t have to sleep curled up and I’ll actually be able to move around! You get a huge ass bed, but all I get is that stupid thing! You won’t even buy me a new pillow! I had to have Rhys buy one for me, but he had to buy a small one so it would fit the pillowcase and you wouldn’t notice!” She was bawling now. “I knew you missed Mom, but I thought you loved me too!” and with that, she shoved past the two of them, her bags knocking into them. The front door slammed behind her.

There was silence once more. Rhys, hugging himself, turned and went to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. If this didn’t affect Jack, Rhys didn’t know what would. And when he heard the office door slam, Rhys knew Jack was too gone right now.

Tears blurred as he packed a bag. They'd been so incredibly happy, but right now, they were all separated and it wasn’t right. Sure Jack's words had broken his heart, but Jack’s refusal to see Angel as she was cut deeper.

His bags packed, Rhys listened at the door for any signs of Jack. When he heard nothing, he slipped out and then out of the house. He drove around, unsure where to go for a long time until he was suddenly parked at Vaughn's new house. He'd bought it with the money from the ring stolen from Jack. Vaughn’s car was parked in the driveway, indicating he was home. Rhys sat there for a long while, unsure of what to do next. He had half a mind to go home, but the idea of sleeping in their bed alone after everything was something he just couldn't do. Jack's ego would suffocate the house and make doing anything impossible.

Vaughn opened the front door and waved happily. When Rhys didn't move his best friend frowned and went to the car in his barefeet. He opened the door and looked at Rhys.

“Rhys, bro, what's wrong?”

But Rhys was crying. Vaughn acted immediately, pulling Rhys out, and dragging him into the house. He texted Yvette and had her pick up some ice cream on her way over.

Rhys curled on the couch, sniffling into a pillow he hugged tightly. When Yvette arrived fifteen minutes later, he explained, a large bucket of ice cream in his lap to soothe him.

“Wow, that's…” Yvette stopped, dipped her spoon into the ice cream and shoved it into her mouth. She kept silent as Rhys talked, working through his feelings.

After a while, Yvette grabbed Rhys’ things from the car are took them to one of Vaughn's spare room. She unloaded her things and set them in a second spare room. They ordered take out and watched whatever tickled Rhys’ fancy. It wasn't surprising when they all passed out together on the couch, melted ice cream remnant in the bucket.

* * *

The fury that burned inside Jack would fester for days to come. He avoided Rhys, sinking into work. He spent a lot of time at home instead of the office. If he wasn't working, he was bristling with anger or passed out over his desk. He did not hear Rhys or Angel moving about and he was glad. He didn't want to speak with them and he was pleased with the silence.

Rhys had no idea what he was talking about. He hadn't raised Angel, hadn't changed her diapers, or held her when she cried and cried after his wife had died. He hadn't spent weeks decorating the perfect room with his wife only for her to get sick a week later. It had been the last thing she'd ever done and Rhys wanted Jack to just destroy all her hard work. To just forget about her. Forget about how their love had created the best thing ever.

Well, if that's what Rhys wanted, then they were not a good match. At all. Jack would not forget about her or throw her last masterpiece away. Not for anything or anyone.

 

.::Four Years Ago::.

 

Jack could not believe this twerp was in his home. He didn't like killing anyone who'd been in his house. And he was suspecting that Angel knew he intended to kill this guy and was intentionally doing things to prolong his life, like asking him to help with her homework. She'd never asked for help before.

And he’d scarfed down all that ice cream and had washed the dishes, his energy not waning in the slightest. Jack and Angel had only been able to eat half of it before feeling sick, but not this kid. He’d eaten all his and had  _ wanted more _ . Jack had been both disgusted and impressed. But he’d still kept up with Angel and, if Jack was being honest, treated her as an equal. He’d found very few who saw just how incredible she was.

Jack seethed as he listened to Rhys animatedly work with Angel, making her giggle and joke with him. Jack, who still sat in the kitchen, could hear every word from them. He swore under his breath. He was finding himself more and more impressed with the guy. A guy, who, if Jack was honest only to himself, wasn’t too bad on the eyes. He swore again. He was supposed to be thinking of a fun way to kill this nerd, not about how long his long legs were. Jack was supposed to be deciding how long he was going to take to kill Rhys, not notice how shapely his but was as he’d done the dishes.

Growling, he went in when it was time for her bedtime. She didn’t need help, but it was time to stop whatever was happening.

Jack leaned in as Rhys left the room. “Do not leave. I know who you are and will chase you down.”

Rhys shrugged. “Goodnight Angel, sleep well.”

Angel hugged Rhys. It caught Rhys off guard, but he smiled and hugged her back. Jack clenched his jaw at the sight. Rhys left, leaving Jack with his daughter. He tucked her into her princess bed, kissing her on her forehead.

“I like Rhys, daddy.” She smiled.

“You don't know him Angel baby.”

“Neither do you. And he doesn't know us either and he cooked us dinner and took care of us for days.”

Jack couldn't deny that. He'd been unconscious and the twerp had taken care of Angel without hesitation. He kissed her on her forehead. “Good night babygirl.”

He went straight to his office and turned his computer on. He looked Rhys up, reading his credentials and checking his work log. The guy was smart and had just been promoted, but he recognized Rhys’ work and edits, noting how he'd caught major errors in things that weren’t even his job to catch. Jack remembered he’d been impressed when he’d gotten a letter from this Rhys. He’d gone over the head of everyone else to tell Jack about a bug. When Jack had inquired, he’d found that they’d ignored him because he couldn’t possibly know what he was talking about. This was the same Rhys Jack had ordered to be promoted.

“Damn,” he sighed, sitting back. If he killed this kid, he'd lose an incredibly intelligent and competent employee.

Jack's head pinged with pain as his jaw clenched. His head still throbbed from the accident. What  _ had _ happened to him? Rhys had never given him a straight answer no matter how many times Jack had interrogated him. He logged into the surveillance and found a time and date that he remembered. He followed his path throughout the day, watching himself angrily kick the wall of the elevator and scream. Damn, he could get violent sometimes.

Then, Jack was walking through accounting where, from nowhere, a mechanical arm soared through the air and clocked him square in the head. Completely dumbfounded, he watched Rhys run over to him with another man. They argued and then Jack moved and Rhys hit him again. Unable to believe that the man who'd been helping them was the reason they’d needed help, Jack rewound it, but remembered to turn the sound on this time. He listened to the conversation Rhys was having with the other man as Jack was entering. Fury swelled in him as he was hit because of a stupid joke. Everyone crowded, whispering about it while Rhys and his friend argued. Then everyone ran away, booking it out before Jack regained consciousness. Except for Rhys and his friend, who was on the phone and giving orders. Jack followed the paramedics as Rhys and him were taken to the hospital. He heard the exchange as they ushered Rhys into the room without letting him explain.

And then Angel arrived and he listened to their conversation, noting how his fear of Jack almost made Rhys abandon them. Something deep, deep, deep and deeper inside Jack lurched and swirled, upsetting his stomach. He gritted his teeth. The rest of the time, they did her homework and ate together, laughing and talking with each other. Angel certainly liked this guy. And he had to admit the kid had begun to grow on him too. He had spunk, and, Jack noted, possibly found Jack attractive. He wasn’t surprised by that, everyone found him attractive. But he’d caught Rhys staring at him and taking pictures of his wrist tattoo. And he had to admit further when he watched Rhys interacting with Angel again, that the kid’s smile was very pleasant.

A lot more pleasant than his fear when Jack woke up and started threatening him. The guy who had been helping them and taking amazing care of his daughter, despite his instincts to protect himself. Jack noticed as he fast forwarded through the night and day, how tired and ragged Rhys progressively got. Jack’s paranoia and threats raked him down, killing his happiness. And yet, he still had some for Angel.

Jack sat back, sighing heavily. He wanted to kick his own ass now. He had been nothing but rude and suspicious to this kid and all the guy had done was help and show them kindness. He sighed again, Angel had seen it and had scolded Jack for his behavior. Well, that was all Jack needed to know.

Standing, Jack went out of the office and into the living room to talk with the guy, but when he got there, he stopped quietly. Rhys had passed out on the couch unceremoniously. His legs hung off it and his head was bent awkwardly. Huffing, Jack left and came back with a pillow and blanket. He removed Rhys’ shoes, glancing up to see if the kid would wake up. He didn’t and Jack was glad when he started laughing at the star patterned socks. 

“You’re a fucking nerd, cupcake,” Jack said quietly. He set Rhys’ legs on the couch and slid the pillow under his head, finally draping the blanket over him. He deserved some sleep and tomorrow Jack would make amends with the nerd.

 

.::Present Day::.

 

The morning hit Angel like a sledgehammer and she groaned. Tim, his head kiddy-corner to her, stirred. She apologized and rolled over to look at her phone. She had texts, from Rhys and Yvette. Rhys was letting her know where he was staying and to feel free to come over whenever she wanted, Vaughn had plenty of spare bedrooms for her and Tim. Angel smiled at that. Rhys and even Jack was quick to include Tim in the family.

Yvette wanted a spa day with either just the two of them or with Tim and Gaige as well. That made Angel smile, they hadn’t hung out in such a long time. She knew Gaige wouldn’t want to go, but maybe Tim would. He didn’t know Yvette that well and it would be nice for him to get more acquainted with Yvette and Vaughn. They were good people and Tim needed more of those in his life.

But school was today, so she’d have to wait on the spa day. She whispered to Tim, waking him. “Hey, I think I’m going to stay with Rhys after today, you wanna come or stay with Gaige?”

Tim was too tired to flush. “I’ll join you, where’s he staying?”

“At Vaughn’s new house, Rhys says it’s really nice.” Angel smiled as she spoke. “Guess he’s in the middle of selling our old furniture too, said he had wanted to give Rhys a reason to redecorate before he found out we were redecorating.”

Tim rolled his eyes, knowingly. “Sure, sounds good. I guess I should stop home and get some more clothes…” Tim’s eyes darkened at the thought.

“Nah,” Angel said. “Let’s do a little shopping, you need new clothes for your new room. We’ll go after school.” Angel was glad when she didn’t sound bitter about his room. Tim deserved to be happy and spoiled. The two got up quietly, climbing down the ladder expertly without waking Gaige up. They went into the kitchen, Angel leading the way. Although Tim spent most of his time either at Gaige’s or Angel’s, he was still extremely skittish. Angel made some coffee for them, plus one for Gaige. They would wake her up in a few minutes.

“I don’t understand what’s up with your dad…” Tim said quietly. He didn’t look at her, worried about how she’d react, but Angel wasn’t mad.

She sighed. “He never got over my mom. She decorated that room… As long as that room exists and all that furniture is there, she can’t really be dead.” Angel hugged her coffee, watching the oils swirl in the creamer. “It’s a cage though. To him it’s a time capsule, but it’s just a cage to hide away the reality of the situation and he doesn’t want me getting loose and reminding him of my mom. And he doesn’t like facing his emotions.” Her voice dropped. “I had to ask  _ Rhys _ about my period.”

Tim flushed, but didn’t say anything. He made breakfast for them, but when Gaige’s dad came down, he pushed Timothy out of the way to finish it. Tim retreated back to Gaige’s room, taking her coffee with them. The moment they passed the doorway she jolted upright, her eye mask crooked across her face. It had a close up picture of a hideous female villain covered in face cream with cucumbers over her eyes.

Tim jumped backwards, grimacing. He cleared his throat. “Uhm, it’s time to get up, Gaige…”

“Huh? Wha?”

Angel leaned into Tim. “Maybe she doesn’t want her coffee, Tim?”

Gaige’s lips dropped in a pout. “That’s not funny.” She lifted up her mask and took her drink from Tim. She sniffed the air as breakfast wafted to them. “Mmm! Smells great!”

“Your dad kicked Tim out of the kitchen again.” Angel smirked at Tim’s flush.

Gaige shook her head. “That’s so weird. You’re the only one that gets away with that. He doesn’t like anyone messing with his kitchen.”

Tim flushed. “I just…”

“Don’t worry about it Timmy! It just means he likes you!” She frowned. “Hey… He’s always mean to me when I cook something. He must like you more than me!” she pouted again.

Angel burst out laughing. “Of course he does! Tim doesn’t start to make mac and cheese only to get distracted and start experimenting and end up exploding the kitchen.”

Gaige could not argue.

* * *

Rhys picked them up from school later that day. He’d worked from home, not wanting to chance any encounter with Jack. The three climbed in and, after stopping at Gaige’s to collect the rest of their things, they headed to the outlet mall to find Tim some clothes. Angel and Gaige talked with Tim, advising him on stores he might like from the back seat. Rhys had noticed that they always let him sit in the front seat.

He turned to Tim. “What kind of clothes do you like?”

Tim froze, his eyes wide. “Uh…”

Rhys smiled patiently. “It’s okay, finding what you like is a process and sometimes it can take more than one trip. But think about when you look at people, what attracts you? Take your time if you need to, this is all for you.”

“Yeah! You deserve the best, Timmy Tam!”

Rhys smiled. “Exactly.”

They arrived after a pit stop for some smoothies. Gaige hopped out before the car was halfway in a parking spot. “GAIGE!” Rhys yelled at her as she ran around the car. Quickly, Rhys hit the lock button. She pulled on Tim’s door and pouted when it wouldn’t open. Tim waved apologetically at her, sipping his drink.

She crossed her arms and waited impatiently. Rhys parked the car and turned it off, waiting a beat before finally unlocking it. Gaige wrenched the door open and leaned over Tim to unbuckle him.

“Gaige!” Tim gasped, flushing furiously.

She pulled on his arm. “Let’s go! I’m excited! You’re going to have  _ so _ many awesome outfits!”

Rhys slid out and shut Gaige’s door with a huff. Angel waited for him as Rhys shook his head. “That girl!”

She laughed. “Yeah, it annoys her parents too.”

Rhys hooked an arm around Angel’s shoulders, pulling her into a side hug. He kissed her forehead. “I hear you have Saturday plans with Yvette. She’s excited.”

Angel smiled. “Me too. I’m gonna take Tim with us. Gaige hates that kind of stuff.”

“Sounds good, he needs to be pampered a little.”

The first store they hit was more fitted towards high schoolers and Tim wandered around, unimpressed. The second store had a couple of things he liked and Rhys bought them immediately, not giving him a moment to second guess himself. Next, they found a couple shoes at a shoe store. While Gaige pulled everything off the shelf for Tim to try, Angel was thoughtful and made decisive choices to hand Tim. She would then correct her choice based on his reactions. Rhys enjoyed watching them. They were such an interesting dynamic. Tim tried on all of Gaige’s patiently, but he spent more time contemplating Angel’s choices and giving her a concise list of what he did and didn’t like about it.

They left the store and made a pitstop at the car to unload before venturing out again. The girls discussed what Tim’s style would be. They wanted to make bets before Tim had actually discovered it.

Tim and Rhys walked behind them, listening. Tim winced as Gaige threw out random guesses.

“I bet he’s gonna be, like, k-pop! No, how about harajuku? Or maybe visual kei?” Gaige was enthusiastic.

Angel shook her head. “What are you  _ even _ saying? Tim’s more classy than any of those!”

“Oh, so K-Pop couldn’t be classy?” she stuck her chin up at Angel.

“No!” Angel snapped.

Gaige huffed. “Fine! Kodona!”

Angel frowned. “You’re being extremely biased on what  _ you _ like. Have you thought that  _ maybe _ Tim doesn’t like that style?”

“It’s a great style! I could see him in gothic neo, or the neo punk!”

“That is a horrible style for him, Gaige!” Angel was getting louder and louder the more Gaige spewed ideas.

“Oh, c’mon! He’d look great in some buckles and chains!”

“See? You’re super biased on what you’d like to see him in! You need to think classier!”

Rhys pretended he did not hear that part or see how badly Tim was flushing. The poor kid. Rhys cleared his throat to change the topic of their conversation, but it fell on deaf ears.

Rolling her eyes and groaning loudly, Gaige let her top half slump forward dramatically. “We’re supposed to be betting on these, Angel! It’s supposed to be fun!”

“Yeah, but you’re not even trying!”

Gaige groaned again. “Victorian steampunk.”

Angel glared at her.

Crossing her arms, she sighed. “Jeeze, you’re so boring. Victorian or cyber nerd. Happy?”

Angel smiled. “Yes.”

“Great!” she feigned excitement. “And what about you, O Smart one?”

Taking a deep breath, Angel began. “Well, what he wears now is more shabby chic, which is perfectly fine if that’s what he likes, so I was thinking either preppy, or like a bookish, librarian style. They’re classy styles and would work perfectly with his refined tastes.”

Gaige pointed her finger in her mouth and gagged. “That’s so boring!”

“Well, it’s a good thing  _ you _ won’t be wearing it!”

They were finally at the store, but they continued to debate as Angel picked different varieties of clothes for Tim to try while he looked around as well.

“It’s good to try different things, cause sometimes you actually like it,” she smiled. Her eyes darted behind Tim suddenlt. “GAIGE! You can’t take another store’s clothes and bring them in here! That’s called stealing!” she shoved the clothes into Rhys’ arms and went to her.

“Shut up!” Gaige hissed. She held a black button down shirt loaded with buckles and straps. “I’m going to prove you wrong!”

Rhys pointedly turned Tim away and helped him to a dressing room.

“I’ll wait out here in case you need any help,” he leaned in to whisper to Tim. “Don’t be too worried about them fighting, they’ve always fought. And do not be afraid to say you don’t like something.”

Tim smiled timidly. Rhys went to sit at the entrance, but Angel waved him over where Gaige stood, furiously red in the face next to a security guard. Rhys sighed. He went over as Angel walked to the entrance of the dressing room. She waited just outside, not wanting to enter where she wasn’t allowed. At least not until she heard Tim call out.

“I need a smaller size, please?”

She grabbed them from over the door and went out to replace them. She heard Gaige arguing with Rhys and the guard. Switching the shirts out, Angel returned, but she was too short to swing it back over the top, so she knocked on the door. “Open up.”

“W-where’s Rhys? He can normally just throw things over the top…”

“Making sure Gaige isn’t arrested.”

There was a long silence. Slowly and carefully, the door was opened and Angel slid the handful of hangers through. When some of them slipped as she passed them off, they both moved to catch them. The door swung open and Angel saw Tim shirtless for the first time ever.

She gasped. “Tim!”

A series of bruises speckled his torso.

“Angel!” he snapped, growing furious with her. He slammed the door on her. “Go away!” he ordered.

She obeyed, too shocked by everything, but she wasn’t so unaware to miss how his voice broke halfway through. She sat at the entrance, lost in thought as her mind swirled. Bruises on Tim. Tim had bruises. They had some purple still in the center and the rest was an ugly yellow. What could cause bruises like those? Maybe if Tim tripped, but Tim wasn’t clumsy and he always wore long sleeves and he was never at his home and they were here today going clothes shopping for that exact reason. She knew his uncle was an asshole, but hadn’t realized just how bad it was. A part of her tried to rationalize that she could be overreacting, but the longer she sat there, the more pieces fit the puzzle and she couldn’t think of it as anything but that. Still, she needed to confirm if her theory was right.

She felt herself begin to shake and she hugged herself. Tim was hurt. He was hurt and he wasn’t telling anyone. Why? Why hadn’t he reached out for help. Surely he knew they’d help him? Why hadn’t he told anyone?

She heard the door swing open and Tim avoided her gaze, pretending nothing had happened. He kept a couple shirts and Angel stood to examine them.

Looking over the items, she smirked just a little. “Gaige isn’t going to be happy I was right. Though, I didn’t peg it one hundred percent. Let’s go find some things to go with these.”

Tim nodded. Mechanically, they both went to the racks.

“Do you know what your size is?” she asked.

He shook his head. She grabbed a pair of slacks in several sizes and they headed back to the dressing room. She handed them to him, but he didn’t move.

He stared at the ground. “I… I’m sorry…”

She started. “About what?”

“Yelling, yelling at you… I just got scared…”

“Why?” she asked quietly. “Why haven’t you got help? You know what he’s doing is bad right?”

Tim nodded. “It’s just… I would be put in foster care and that happened while they sorted things out with my uncle and it was horrible, the house was cramped and the family looked down on us… But… I didn’t know you guys then and I don’t…” he used his arm to wipe away a tear. “I just found you guys… If-if I say anything they’ll take me away from here…”

Angel’s heart broke and so did her resolve and she found herself crying too. “Oh, Tim, it would be no problem to have you move in with us. We all love you.”

He hugged himself. “Even Jack? He can’t love anyone but himself right now…”

She gently placed each hand on his shoulders. “Even Jack. And if you couldn’t stay with us, which you would be able to, Vaughn or Yvette would house you in an instant. Even Wilhelm! The point is, you have safe places to be. Even Gaige-”

His head snapped upward and he began to shake his head. “Not her, Angel! Don’t tell her! You can’t tell her, please! She can’t see how… Weak I really am…”

“You’re not weak Tim!” She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes again.

“ _ Please _ don’t tell anyone!” Tim begged. “I can’t lose you guys! You’re the best… You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” His voice fell to a whisper. “ _ Please, Angel _ ?”

She would not promise that. No way, no how. She shook her head. “I can’t promise that, Tim. It’s not okay what your uncle’s doing. I won’t tell them details or anything, but I can’t just sit back and watch you get hurt over and over again.  _ I care for you too _ .”

Gaige came over then, angry. “Ugh! Can you believe this? They’re going to talk to the stupid store owner to see what they want to do! Like I was actually going to steal their cheap ass clothes!” she glared in the direction of the store. Tim and Angel turned away from her to wipe their eyes and Tim left to change clothes.

Angel watched after him, not hearing the rest of what Gaige was saying. Her chest was tight and her throat had a hard lump in it. Gaige continued to speak and Angel didn’t stop her.

* * *

They stumbled into Vaughn’s house hours later after dropping Gaige off home. The store had decided not to press any charges, mostly because Gaige had argued with them until they gave in. She gloated on their way to her house, but Tim and Angel didn’t engage in the conversation.

They set Tim’s things in a huge pile in the guest room for him and Angel set her things in her room. Vaughn and Yvette were in the middle of dinner and welcomed the group. Tim stayed close to Angel, unsure about Vaughn or Yvette. He’d only met them a few other times and was unused to them. He seemed to have calmed from their conversation earlier, but he kept glancing at her.

“Hey,” Yvette said to him. “I heard you like cooking, come help us.”

Obediently, he did. He stood to the side until Yvette waved him over and gave him jobs to do, testing out his skills. She helped him out along the way, making a point to connect with him and show him some pointers. By the time it was time to eat Tim was more relaxed around them.

After dinner, Angel and Tim went to his room to do their homework. Rhys cleaned up and afterwards gave the kids ice cream. He, Yvette and Vaughn settled in the sitting room and chatted until Rhys could no longer focus. He passed by Tim’s room and saw the light was off. He went into his and climbed into bed. It was uncomfortable sleeping in pajamas and he had a hard time sleeping.

There was a knock on his door and Angel peaked her head in. “Uh… Dad?”

Rhys sat up. “What’s wrong?”

She came in and shut the door, hugging herself. “I… Can’t sleep…”

Rhys’ heart broke and swelled at the same time. He scooted over as she crawled in and wrapped her in a hug. “Everything’s going to be alright, Angel. He’ll pull his head out of his ass sooner or later.”

She laughed. “You’re really upset with him, you don’t normally curse, especially around me.”

“I could say the same to you. That’s was the first time I heard you swear in front of your Pops.” Rhys sighed. “I’m sorry, I am really upset with him, he’s harming his relationship with you by refusing to see you for who you are. He’ll figure it out though, he may be a stubborn, stubborn ass, but he’s not dumb. We’re the most important people, us and Tim, he’ll work it out.”

“I hope so.”

They were silent for a long time. Rhys was almost sure Angel had fallen asleep when she spoke again.

“I’m… Worried about Tim, dad.”

Rhys nodded. “Me too.”

“I don’t want him going back to his uncle’s. Ever again.”

“Did he… Tell you something?” Rhys asked gently.

“Yes, but I promised I wouldn’t tell specifics, but I said I couldn’t keep my mouth shut about it,” she sighed. “I… Am I a terrible friend? I didn’t notice for the longest time and I didn’t ask or press information from him. I just… Let it happen and then when he was scared about losing us, I couldn’t keep his secret quiet.” Rhys felt her begin to shake from crying.

He held her tighter. “Hey, you are a great friend. You and Gaige protect him as best you can without realizing it. You’ve given him a safe place. These kinds of situations are hard to figure out, especially when they don’t want help.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Your Pops and I have been keeping an eye on him.”

“You have?”

Rhys nodded. “Your Pops saw it first and I had to talk him out of cornering Tim and demanding to see anything. Tim’s in such a wound state, it would have done worse damage, so we’ve been stuck waiting and watching. I’m relieved you finally discovered whatever you did. I can start getting paperwork together.”

Angel smiled finally. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Angel. Everything will get sorted out with your Pops and Tim, I promise we won’t be losing either of them.”

“Good. I couldn’t bare it,” Angel said as she finally sank into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone who needs some hugs: -hugs!!!- And even more hugs for those who still want some: -more hugs!!-
> 
> My tumblr: http://nessiefromspace.tumblr.com/  
> My Borderlands/ fanart tumblr: http://nessiefromink.tumblr.com/


End file.
